Wait, Is This New Riverdale Promo Teasing Hiram's Funeral?

After an incredibly confusing trip to an alternate dimension, Riverdale is finally returning to the real world in 2022. But just because the sci-fi twists of “Rivervale” are done, don’t expect the rest of Season 6 to be any less shocking. The promo for Riverdale Season 6, Episode 6 gave fans their first look at the aftermath of Season 5’s big cliffhanger, and it’s filled with returning villains, long-awaited reconciliations, and yep, even a funeral. It definitely looks like Riverdale is going to hit the ground running when Season 6 returns in March.

Spoiler alert: This post contains spoilers from Riverdale Season 6, Episode 5, “The Jughead Paradox.” So far, the sixth season of Riverdale has been unlike any other. After Season 5 ended with a bomb exploding right beneath Archie and Betty, Season 6 jumped into a parallel universe called Rivervale for its first five episodes, leaving the cliffhanger a mystery up until the very end of the “Rivervale” event. The finale moments of Episode 5 revealed a mysterious phone call warned Betty about the bomb, most likely allowing her and Archie to run to safety just in time.

I say “most likely” because the episode didn’t reveal Betty and Archie’s fates, but the newly released Episode 6 promo does confirm they survived the blast. And they’re going stronger than ever, as the preview shows them kissing. That’s not the only reunion in the clip, though — Veronica hugs Betty after saying “I miss you,” providing a BFF moment that fans haven’t seen in quite some time as they were separated for much of Season 5.

Other standout moments in the teaser include Cheryl revealing the curse she placed on Archie, Betty, and Jughead to her victims, Betty potentially catching the TBK, and... um, is Britta developing pyrokinetic powers? The most telling shot, though, is a very brief scene of Veronica crying at a funeral. It’s not difficult to deduce who is most likely in the coffin: her father, Hiram. Mark Consuelos confirmed he was done playing Hiram after the Season 5 finale, in which the town banded together to exile the mob boss. On top of Consuelos’ exit, Hermione is shown returning to town elsewhere in the Episode 6 trailer, and Marisol Nichols confirmed she’ll also be back for Episode 7, posting a script page that features a pretty telling episode title along with a photo of Veronica in mourning.

After years of torturing Riverdale’s residents as the show’s big bad, it looks like Hiram is finally going to be buried for good in the next new episode. But, you know, with Riverdale, you never know.

Riverdale Season 6 will return with its sixth episode on Sunday, March 6, at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.